


Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by Lemin_Gay



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explosions, Explosives, Howard Stark was an asshole, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, Minor Injuries, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs Sleep, Tony Stark doesn't want to admit he's pretty much Peter's dad, Trapped
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2019-10-31 01:51:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17840147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lemin_Gay/pseuds/Lemin_Gay
Summary: After a small group of terrorists take over a bank, it's up to the avengers to take them down. An uninvited guest decides to swing in and help.The one where Tony has a lot of feelings and avoids them, and Peter is afraid of small spaces, but too stubborn to tell anyone.





	1. Just dropped in to say hi

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. I didn't expect this to take off as fast as it did. Chapter two will be up tonight!

"Capsicle, what's our ETA on Legolas and Tasha?" Tony fired a short blast of his hand cannon, taking out an unsuspecting jerk, waiting very impatiently on the arrival of the Budapest Brady Bunch.

 

The scene laid before him was a mess. He was already going to have to face Homeland Security's fiery wrath, but the press was going to love this absolute fiasco. They had a small group of terrorists, whom the likes of which had completely taken over a large and quite busy bank, hostages and all, on their hands with Stark Industry manufactured laser weapons and Tony had already thought of a thousand and one ways he is going to have to figure out how to cover his own ass. From the sounds of it, it wasn't the money they were interested in either, more than the coverage from the press. Their motivation seemed to be who was using the bank more so, than the actual money inside, this being a common location for politicians that could be bought and sold to do business.

They wanted to get their word out about their organization and mission to disestablish these people, even if it meant killing innocent people in the process. They were extremists to say the least regardless of how right or wrong they were. The situation was precarious, but this was no unusual business for Stark these days. With the growth in his brand it's bound to happen from time to time, but the press just eats it up whenever his designs get into the hands of the wrong people. Hopefully someone will come from the avengers angle instead with some good media, but he knew it wasn't likely. At this particular point in time he was using his aggravation as motivation to bring these assholes down. They had been picking them up off one by one, slowly but surely dwindling their numbers, buy one of them had seemed to be enhanced, while others were just scarily accurate with their weapons. 

"Where trying here Tony, once Clint and Ms. Romanov get here it's over for these hooligans." Cap came through the other end of the line, clearly sounding like he was exerting some force, tumbling out of . As they had arrived, Tony found their statements to be quite true. With Hawkeye's blinding accuracy and The Black Widow's stealth, they were golden and most of these bad guys were going to be going away for a long time. There was still one fish to fry though. Inside awaited the enhanced terrorist. This guy was bad news. Not only for Tony's future press conference, the one in which he was going to have to explain why it took so long to get to the hostages, but also in the sense that this guy could straight up manipulate electronics on a whim with his god-damned mind. If he so much as saw Tony's suit he was done for. This had to be a job for the more naturally gifted avengers to take care of. Tony disabled his suit, standing frustrated by the wayside in his civilian clothing, tapping his foot when he heard a familiar voice call out behind him.

"Am I missing any of the action?" A very excited, particularly young, and rather annoyingly loveable, blue and red bug boy joked with an officer near him hoping to get some information, also desperately hoping Tony didn't know he was here yet, assuming he was inside fighting along with the others  
The kid practically vibrated with energy it seemed. In some ways it fueled Tony, in others it was honestly exhausting to watch him bounce around like he had energy to spare. No one should be this excited about taking and giving out punches. The man flipped around on his heel, jutting a hip out with crossed arms. "And if I say no?!" He lowered his sunglasses slightly, peering over them like a librarian, clearly pissed that you've made too much noise. Peter practically shriveled and died on the spot. Nothing was scarier than an out of suit, in the flesh, Tony freaking Stark about to shut down all of your plans for the evening. The look on both Tony's and Peter's faces would have been comical if it weren't for the circumstance. It was noon on a school day for one, and this situation was far greater than Spiderman could handle for the time being in Tony's mind. This kid had a million and a half other things to worry about than terrorism and laser canon wielding bad guys. He'd already dealt with that much too soon anyways, but this was no bank robbery, and this wasn't Toomes. Tony strode over, pulling Spiderman to the side so no one could hear them. "Aren't you supposed to be in class? you know if you don't keep your grades up no matter how much I talk you up you won't get into MIT right? A GPA is the first thing they look at, regardless if you're on Tony Stark's good word or not." Peter shrugged off the grip that Tony had on his shoulder, rolling his eyes hard under the mask.

Teenagers. 

Tony couldn't see it, but he could almost feel it. His eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms back again. "I didn't think you cared all too much if I'm out here or not anyways Mr.Stark. We haven't exactly been talking recently." Peter was trying to mask his clear disappointment in this being his first meeting with the icon in weeks with casualness, but the poor kid wasn't a very good actor. Not much if a good liar either. "I'm on Thanksgiving break at the moment anyways. You'd probably know that if you'd take my messages." Peter huffed in a mumble, not wanting Tony to hear, but he had regardless.

Okay. What the hell was that supposed to mean. He wasn't expecting the kid to have an attitude about it. He'd gone longer without hearing from him before, so why now?

It was true to a certain extent, they hadn't really talked all too much recently, but Stark is both a very busy man and a very reserved one. He may or may have not had ulterior motives as to why he was avoiding Peter, but he was not about to face them now on the street in front of the journalists all lined up behind the police tape with their cameras at the ready. A loud bang took the two of them off guard as the doors of the building flung open. All of the officers cocked and aimed their weapons, ready to fire when a very miffed blonde, patriotic captain with a black eye and cut lip walked out with the perpetrator in his grasp. It seems his luck had run out. Tony smiled and turned to the kid as they loaded the terrorist up into the back of a swat van.


	2. Jesus? Yes my child?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something feels off.

"Finally!" Tony gestured at Cap, who only shook his head in response. "Good work, Rodgers."

Steve tightened his grip on the terrorist, shoving him forward in frustration and detention to get him to walk.

Tony headed in the direction of the building and Peter followed. Something about the situation made Peter's hair stand on end. He didn't like how easy this had all seemed from the time he had turned on the news to even after he had gotten here, but he wasn't surprised either, seeing Cap a little bruised made it feel as if there was some sort of struggle at least, but all in all, it generally felt devoid of something. Like a huge piece of the puzzle was missing. Peter just couldn't place what. The guy they had pulled from the bank was too quiet and much too apathetic to himself being caught for Peter's liking, and sent his spider senses haywire every time he even looked at him. He was a tall, tanned and buzzcut man with a slim built and broad shoulders that looks like they could lift a lot. He was also much larger than Peter, but slightly smaller than Mr.Rodgers. His spectacled face seemed analytical above all else, sharing no semblance of having any emotions, that was until his cold, empty, blue eyes made contact with Peter's through his lenses. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly into a short-lived smirk that would have been impossible to catch if you had blinked or weren't looking for it, or happened to not be a hyper-observant recipient of a radioactive spider bite that mutated your DNA. Peter took a ragged breath in as he broke the eye contact, uncomfortable with the length it had been held for. He jumped slightly when Tony clapped a hand joyously back on his shoulder, revelling in their victory.

"Jesus." Peter whispered quietly while he shook the feeling off, still nagging at him under a layer of stoicism.

"Yes my child?" Tony joked for a moment, taking great joy in the lulling of Peter's head at the terrible joke.

"I missed all the action." Peter huffed, formulating an excuse to his jumpiness. He had been very bored at home before turning on the news and seeing that the Avengers were out and about on a mission in new York City for once. It couldn't have been a very long fight for it having been over by the time he had gotten here. 

"You want action? Why don't you and I go release the hostages while The Avengers take care of Pikachu and all the other Pokémon?" Tony put on a dapper, yet somehow still unreasonably douchey Tony Stark Seal of Playboy Billionaire Approval™ smile, telling the kid it wasn't an option, more than it was an order that he was going to follow if he didn't want a lecture. Peter was always more than glad to help, but a little bummed he didn't get to fight. And hey. He was here anyways, and all though he couldn't get rid of the tingling dread that bit at the back of his spine, he shrugged deciding to go with it. It was likely this guy was just giving off bad vibes anyways.

"Oh my god." Peter facepalmed, slightly embarrassed by the reference."Yeah Mr.Stark! Sounds like a plan." Peter croaked, rubbing away the goosebumps on his arm, trying his best to hide just how nervous he was. As he and Peter jumped into action, Tony stayed in his civilian clothing, not wanting to give the terrorist the opportunity to manipulate his suit and cause more trouble than he already had as the two approached the bank. They had already been in and out of the building a few times which had unfortunately given Tony a false sense of security. Peter felt his anxiety grow as they retrieved the hostages from the bank's vault, shuffling them out a few at a time so they didn't run over each other in the process of escaping their confines. Shock tended to be one hell of a drug, and could read a lot of havoc if people didn't stay calm in situations like these. As the two released the last few people, heading back inside to make sure everyone had made it out safely, Peter could barely handle the itching of his spider senses any more. 

"Mr. Stark I don't like this. Something about this whole situation seems really... I don't know......off? It feels dangerous to be in here." Peter pulled off his mask his voice was just above a whisper, shifting his eyes around apprehensively. It was clear the boy was completely spooked and uncomfortable with being here from just a glance. It worried Tony slightly, but he cleared his throat, responding in reassurance.

"We haven't fully secured the area, but we've been in and out all day and haven't seen anything out of the ordinary. Let's finish the round to check if everyone made it out before we go," he paused for a moment, taking Peter's hesitance into consideration, "but let's make it quick." Tony closed the vault behind him and picked up his pace, scouting out the room when they heard a loud, but muffled bang towards the front of the building. The facade began to crumbled into large chunks and Peter instantly knew what was happening. His eyes widened in fear, running as fast as he could to push Tony and himself back into the small, already closed room. Panicking when he realized that the door had already been shut. Tony was stunned, lying flat on his back trying to catch the wind that had been knocked out of him. He sat back up, looking at Peter like he'd gone crazy when all hell had broke loose.

"What the hell?" Stark's mind caught up with him, but Peter had frozen completely, too scared to move.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

Peter's mind buzzed with alarm as the five floors above them began to crumble with each boom they heard. They had nowhere to escape to as the next bomb went off, and then the next. Everything was happening so fast, in seconds even, but time seemed like it was going in slow motion as the next blast flung him and Tony into the door of the vault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it was so short. Im not great at writing action sequences.


	3. What Can We Do But Wait?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYO! Link here! Just wanted to say I'm glad y'all have liked this so far! Here's a little bit longer of an update for you guys! Enjoy!

The first thing that came back to Peter was the fact that he was breathing, well...more like wheezing. In and out. As painful as it was, that was good. That's a step in the right direction here, Peter thought to himself. He coughed hard a few times sending his chest on fire with the exhalation of dust and debris that he had taken in from the collapse. He opened his eyes to be met with near pitch darkness, all except a small blue glow be could just see out of his peripherals. He couldn't move, and wasn't entirely sure if he was pinned or just too scared to as the feeling of rubble beneath him jogged his memory. He was all too familiar with this scenario. He tried to calm himself telling himself that he couldn't panic right now, but his brain was telling him otherwise. He was stuck down here alone, crushed under the weight of the vultures lair again. A small, barely audible "h-help!" permeated the air. It sounded like his own voice, but vacant and far away. Peter could hardly speak, let alone think. His mind was somewhere else entirely as his voice came in between sputtering breaths. "I c-cant breathe, som-someone help me. Help im-im stuck." Tears left paths down Peter's dust caked face. He was going to die here, he was sure of it. He was going to die, alone in the dark under mounds of Earth. No one knew he was here. No one was coming for him. He didn't have Karen, he couldn't call Mr. Stark. 

"M-Mr. Stark." Peter's dry voice cracked.

Tony grunted, shifting uncomfortably, trying to squirm his, very obviously broken after trying to move it, leg out of a rock pile when he'd heard the small hiccups coming from his mentee, shifting his attention for a short moment. Shit. He wasn't alone down here. He felt like his whole body was waving behind him every time he had moved, not remembering much of what had happened at first. He touched a hand to his aching head, pulling his bloodied hand back with a wince. 

Head injury? Check. That annoying sound wouldn't stop, it almost sounded like a dog sniffing away at something. hyperventilating? Oh yeah! PETER! Tony reached an arm out, stretching as far as he could across the small space they were in, grabbing the boy by the shoulder of his suit, scrunching it up to get a firm grip. He wasn't obstructed by anything, so with a hard yank and some much unwanted strain on Tony's end, he pulled Peter closer to him. It was clear that he was having a panic attack. He was shaking like a leaf, had no idea where he was or that he was actually with him and was muttering something about being stuck and not able to move. Peter was barely touched by the rubble, and had no reason to believe he wasn't. Tony pulled hard to free his other arm, stretch rolling his shoulder back in pain. He grimaced as he used both arms to pull the boy's back up against his chest.

"Peter, Peter can you hear me?" It wasn't often that Tony used the kid's actual name, but he was hoping that it would help ground him in reality a bit. Peter started to struggle, trying to push out of Tony's grip.

"MS'R STARK HELP ME IM STUCK HELP!" He sobbed, desperately trying to get out of the hold he was in. He felt like the already unimaginably small space was closing in on him. He was being crushed under wet steel and concrete. No one was coming to save him. 

"I'm here Kiddo. I'm right here." Tony grunted, getting pushed in the chin with one of Peter's hands. He grabbed it, pulling it down to Peter's side, firmly. Damn this kid was strong. "I need you to breathe, Pete. We're okay. I need you to breathe. Can you match mine?" Tony took an exaggerated deep breath. Peter softened his struggling trying to match Tony as best as possible, trusting his mentor. After a few minutes of quiet, slowly steadying, breathing between the two, Tony let out a long sigh of both relief the kid had calmed down and relief that they hadn't been completely crushed to death under the weight of the bank. They honestly couldn't have gotten luckier. Stark wasn't too fond of small spaces either, so in some aspects he understood the kid's panic, but something about the way Peter was acting about it was off. He almost seemed embarrassed about it, remaining quiet and avoiding making any eye contact with his superior. Tony could be wrong though, he wasn't much sure of anything at the moment. His head pounded too loud for him to be able to formulate a plan on how to get out. He couldn't see now either with Peter, who had finally relaxed and seemed just as utterly exhausted as himself, covering the blue aura of the reactor.

"Are you hurt?" Peter finally asked quietly, breaking the silence between the two. Waves of dizziness were washing ever Tony, Peter's voice was cutting through way too loud. He just hummed groggily, tilting his head back against the door. He took a deep breath in, thinking of the question. 

"Probably..... What about you, Underoos?" Peter hadn't really consider if he was hurt or not, but he seemed okay. Nothing hurt in the moment, but that doesn't mean he wasn't injured at first glance. He looked around his body deciding that his left shoulder was undeniably dislocated and he was pretty bruised up, but other than that, he was more or less okay. Okay as he thought he could be.

"I'm fine." Peter lied, much more preoccupied and unsatisfied with Tony's answer and current state than his own. Tony normally would have seen right through his shit, but his head was spinning, throbbing, and he was entirely exhausted. Peter rolled off of him gently, avoiding his clearly broken leg, lighting the crawl space sized pocket of air with the arc reactor. It was bright enough for Peter to take a halfway decent look at Tony and he didn't look good. He had a pretty gnarly gash on his head that was trickling down to his eyebrow, but Peter's stomach did a flip as Tony lifted his head and looked at Peter.

"Your pupil is blown." Peter put bluntly, not saving any room for humor or the usual banter he would provide in dire situations like these. He really didn't like being trapped under an unstable mound of rocks that could crush them at any moment. That was the last place Peter wanted to be, but here he was.

"Oh yeah, I know. Probably the concussion." Tony agreed, he was familiar with having head injuries unfortunately. It's part of the job.

Peter opened his mouth to talk, but just pressed it back into a tight frown. He had no idea what to do. He swallowed gravely, sitting back and cradling his arm as casually as he could. He could feel it healing weird. He looked up at the rubble above him, praying to some sort of god that they were going to get out of here soon. 

"What are we going to do?" He whispered to himself.

When Peter regained some of his composure he noticed Tony pulling something out of his ear in annoyance. It left off a high-pitched screeching that he was sure he was the only one who'd heard. BINGO. Peter quickly grabbed it from Tony's hands, popping open the back of the little earpiece. Tony just stared in awe, and a part of him in complete adoration. He chose the right intern.

Eventually through the chaotic screeching and static a voice rang through, just barely audible.

"HELLO!? CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Peter desperately called into the earpiece, holding it close to his ear.

"Spiderman?!" Steve Rodgers voice came through clear as day. Peter couldn't hold back his tears.

"Oh my God. Yeah. You can call me Peter, Mr.Rodgers." despite his current situation, Peter just couldn't skimp out on his own politeness. Especially when talking to captain freaking America. 

"Tony and I are trapped down here. I'm pretty sure he has a broken leg and a concussion." He had never been so relieved to hear Steve's voice. It usually made him a little anxious since he kicked his ass in berlin, but this was a damn miracle that he was even hearing his voice in the first place. 

"We're already working on it, but it may be a while. I can't tell you how long, but I'm personally estimating a couple of days. We're trying to get Bruce to go green, but we've got strange here helping." Peter's heart dropped down into his stomach.

"D-days?"

"Sorry, Buddy, there's so much rubble and shifting any of it the wrong way could crush you guys. We've proceeded with the hope that you're both alive and we're giving it our best efforts both before and now that we know that you are." Steve hoped this was reassuring, but they had bumps bruises and broken bones to worry about. 

"Shit." 

"Language!" Both Steve and Tony had said at the same time. 

"I suggest you guys get comfortable and keep us updated on anything that happens between now and then. We're getting you guys out, just have patience. I've gotta go wrangle the hulk, he finally decided to make an appearance." Peter punched the floor hard in frustration. 

"That doesn't sound good." Tony piped up from behind Peter."

"It's not. Mr. Rodgers says it could take days to free us. What are we going to do?" Peter rubbed his face, exhausted and beyond stressed. He was lying if he said he wasn't beginning to panic again.

"What can we do but wait?"

Peter slumped down, visibly deflating. He knew Mr.Stark was right. They didn't have may options other than waiting. 

"I dislocated my shoulder. You broke your leg. Those can't wait days. I'm already healing weird and God knows what will happen if you don't get any medical attention." Peter made his point, looking at Mr.Stark's face shift in discomfort. The kid was right, too. 

"You're right it can't wait." Tony cleared his throat. "I help you, you help me?"

Peter's face contorted into deep dissatisfaction at the idea. He didn't want ANYONE anywhere near his shoulder if he was being honest. Even breathing hurt it at this point, but he knew they couldn't stay in this state. 

"O-okay. Okay I'll do it." Peter also knew he wouldn't be able to help set a leg much with a bum arm as well. He had to go first. 

It didn't take long, a sickening pop here, and a short-lived scream there and the two were stable again catching their breath through tears. Fucking days, Peter kept thinking to himself. Fucking days.


	4. Hitting Rock Bottom...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We've ALL got our flaws. I've especially got mine"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay yay!!! The actual new chapter is here!!!

"Mr. Stark?" Peter whispered into the dark, dusted lightly with pale blue light. He waited patiently for a response from his mentor, who hadn't been fairing too well since they had set the break in his leg. He'd initially passed out, but was in and out, trying to sleep off as much of the wait for help as possible. It had been a couple of hours, and Peter had kept true to his word, updating Cap on anything they may need to know about the stability of the concrete around them and the stability of his mentor who seemed to be slipping here and there as the hours rolled on. Peter was bruised and sore, but his shoulder was healing, albeit not as fast as he'd like for it to be. A soft, inquisitive grunt echoed in the narrow space between them indicating that Tony was awake and coherent enough to respond.

 

"Nothing... Just checking." Peter lifted his hands in defense, tensing up. He wasn't sure he could handle being yelled at at the moment for being a bother. This situation was making him extremely tense. If he were alone he would have already tried ages ago to dig his way out, but he couldn't risk hurting Mr.Stark in the process any more than he was, plus this place was a lot larger than the complex that Vulture was hiding out in. According to Captain Rodgers he would have likely failed anyways. The structure was in no way stable, and they were struggling up top to find a proper foothold to dig the two out. They were making progress though. He made that very clear. Peter wasn't sure if he was saying that just to keep his spirits up or if they actually we're, but he didn't peg Captain America to be much of a liar. He huffed out a long, heavy, anxiety ridden sigh, dropping his head back against the rock wall of the crawlspace. His eyes lulled in the direction of Tony, sitting across from him. He was breathing steadily but had his eyes closed, he tapped his index and middle finger impatiently against his black pinstripe suit pants. He cleared his throat and opened his eyes, making contact with Peter's sunken, hollowed ones. The light from his chest illuminated his face in a way that aged the boy and Tony didn't like it. He could feel tension growing between the silence. Peter wasn't really looking at him, more than through him, and as uncomfortable as this entire set of circumstances was, there was an added layer of discomfort in his face that was unsettling.

"You good Pete?" Tony shifted, not wanting to disturb his leg, but no longer comfortable in the position he was in. He pulled himself back, sitting up a little straighter.

"Mhmm." Peter hummed, not shifting his gaze, he seemed almost frozen or running on autopilot. It would have been a lot less concerning if he didn't look so tired and scared.

"Hey kid. You're about to have another anxiety attack." 

Peter tensed once again, his eyes focusing back onto Tony's instead of through him momentarily before he quickly shifted his head down, crossing his arms over his knees and burying his face in them, clearly embarrassed. This kid may have been a bad liar, but when it came to his lack of self preservation, it overruled all else, easily covering any emotions he was feeling. Peter Parker would get stabbed in the chest and tell you it didn't hurt if you had a paper cut that he'd insist should be treated first. It made the kid a great hero, but it also made him an absolute moron. This was a touchy subject, Tony decided. He wasn't sure if he should push it or not, but he didn't exactly want to leave it alone either.

"It comes with the job, Pete. If you don't want to talk about it, then I won't make you, but trust me when I say there isn't a stupid reason to have one and especially now, given our current state of affairs, this isn't a dumb one either." Tony didn't like the way his weakened, broken voice sounded, but this needed to be heard. There wasn't a person in the entire avengers complex that hadn't suffered from at least one at this point besides Bruce, but can you blame him, he just hulks out any time he's feeling a little anxious. Peter lifted his heavy, lidded eyes just above his arms tentatively. Peter wanted to say something, but didn't know how, so he just stared, hoping Stark would continue. He took the cue.

"We've all got our vices, Pete. Cap has a guilt and hero complex that would put you to shame, Clint is almost completely deaf and doesn't realize most of us can hear him when he wakes up screaming when he stays at the compound, Natasha refuses to admit she's got a control problem to the point where it's unhealthy and micromanages everything she does, and Bucky...I won't even start there. Not gonna touch that with a ten foot pole." Tony squished the bridge of his nose between his fingers, blinking hard a few times when Peter's next question had him freeze in his tracks. He should have expected this honestly.

"What about you?" Peter paused, waiting for a moment, before continuing, treading carefully as he chose his words. "You seem to have it all together. You're a billionaire playboy with a successful company, a loving fiancee, seemingly good friends."

"P-peter...." The man sighed deeply, but shortly, gritting his teeth before continuing. "I suppose also have mine. I'm by no means the perfect mogul with not a care in the world the media paints me out to be." Tony uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck, evading Peter's eye contact for a moment before meeting it completely.

"I guess." Peter shrugged. He ran his tongue over his teeth, moving his gaze to the ground as he picked at small stones in the dust. He pulled his legs closer to himself in security, closing himself off from the conversation. He clearly was looking for a better answer than what he had gotten. There was a long uncomfortable pause. Tony didn't like the way the silence has felt, but there's only really one was to break it and neither of them are going anywhere for a while.

When the hell did this kid manage to worm his way into pull on the wires of Tony's arc reactor like this? Shit.

"The first time I had an anxiety attack I was sitting in a restaurant and this girl had asked me to sign a drawing for her. Rhodey had said something about aliens and New York and I remember hearing something about the wormhole, and the next thing I knew I felt like I was the smallest man alive." Tony scoffed, recalling the way he had felt, "An ant under mankind's boot and it was getting closer and closer to crushing me under it's weight. I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was dying. I couldn't see. I couldn't feel my arms and my legs felt like Jell-O. I was outside in my suit on the ground with no idea how I got there and it was terrifying. I'm honestly surprised I hadn't had one sooner with the things I've experienced in my lifetime, but that wasn't the last one I had, Peter. I'm an irresponsible, alcoholic, self absorbed, anxiety ridden asshole, kid. Pepper and I aren't even really engaged. She's too busy and I'm too weak to actually just ask her for real instead of waiting for it to be anything other than a media stunt to get me out of trouble. We've ALL got our flaws. I've especially got mine. I'm a Stark after all, so it shouldn't be all that surprising. I come from a line of grade-a alcoholic assholes." Tony looked up absently at the roof of the cave in. He'd said too much, but it was hard for him to stop once he'd gotten started. 

Peter swallowed thickly, processing everything his mentor had said. "I don't see you that way. I don't care that you're a Stark or whatever. I just... I dunno... I don't see you like that."

"What _do _you exactly see me as, Peter? Because I think we both know, and I think we also both know that I'm not emotionally equipped for that." Tony slowly shook his head, looking at the kid sitting timidly in front of him. It may have just been a product of how tired he was, but he had no idea why he was saying the things he was saying as easily as he was. Who is this man, and what has he done with the real Tony Stark? "I'm not the kind of man you want to see in that way. I don't know how to tell you this, Peter. I can't be..... I can't be a parent to you, kid. I'm.... I... I'm just not.." For once in his god-damned life Tony Stark didn't know what to say. There was no way to charm his way out of this. No way to let Peter down gently. Peter bit his shaking lip, holding back tears, trying not to burst the dam. He wiped a stray tear quickly off of his cheek with a hand and Tony had never felt guiltier as the kid looked away from him, trying to hide the face that he was crying. He could have sworn the the arc reactor was overheating based off of the pang of discomfort he'd felt in his chest. Peter didn't know why he was crying exactly either. He wasn't ever looking for that kind of relationship with Mr.Stark. He supposed it just _happened _. He didn't mean for it to, but he thought, deep in the recesses of his mind, that maybe this was a man he could have in his life that would be consistent. One that wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. He seemed pretty invincible, so what if he has put a little trust in him? What if he looked up to him like he was the only grown man that wanted anything to do with him? That believed in him? That knew he was good and salvageable as a person, and not just a poor, broken, orphan kid living with his aunt in Queens? He was.____

____"I'm sorry., Mr. Stark. That... That want my intention." Peter said under his breath._ _ _ _

____Tony Stark closed his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his head as he listened to the stray sniffles echoing in the chamber. He was losing his edge. He was growing too soft. _This is how you lose people , Tony. _He quietly swore to himself. He knows damn well he views the kid as one of his own. The avengers are pretty much a family, where the world viewed them as dangerous freaks, and they only have eachother for the most part. They keep each other sane, so why is it so damn difficult with this kid. Why can't he break that barrier that he had with the rest of his crew before things had become so broken. Before things had to be rebuilt.___ _ _ _

______"Peter, I don't want to end up being another Howard Stark, and more importantly... I don't want _you _to end up being another _me _." Tony's voice broke in a way that cultivated Peter's attention. He wasn't going to cry was he? "I've made....so many mistakes... I lost so many people. Good people that would still be here without me. Ive even hurt my best friend by dragging him into all of this." Tony flung his arm out, his hand hitting his lap in frustration." I...people I care about don't stay safe around me, and.... I _care _about you, Peter." Tony leaned forward, directing his eyes right towards Peter's. "Look at me. I want you to see me saying this." Peter turned his head back, pulling wiping his eyes again, this time with his sleeve. "You're cultivating yourself into a better man than I will ever be. You.. you already are a better man than I will ever be... You have so much good in you. So so much....and at your age it's corruptible and... I wouldnt be able to live with myself knowing that that was something I've taken from you by not being the man you deserve to have in your life."_______ _ _ _ _ _

____________"So be that man. Be the man I already know you are." Peter's voice cut through, high and shakey, not holding back any of the emotions it was holding. "Don't be another Howard Stark. Be Tony. Be Mr. Tony Stark. World class engineer. Husband to Pepper Soon-to-be-Stark Potts. Best friend and colleague of Colonel James "Rhodey" Rhodes. Hero to the world. Iron Man. And I'll do my best to be Peter." Peter wasn't exactly sure what he was asking for, but judging by the look on Tony's face, he made his point clear. It was a look he hadn't seen from the man before. It was soft, and mournful, and impressed, and proud, and Peter never ceased to amaze him. Tony just held his arms out, waving his hand towards himself with a nod. He wasn't sure he could exactly talk at the moment. Peter crawled over carefully, hugging Tony back tightly. After staying that way for a few moments, Tony spoke quietly, his arms still wrapped around Peter._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"Peter, you're so damn admirable, I can only hope to be like you one day. Life is too short to be as cynical as life as made me. You're hope, you know."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"It's funny, Mr.Stark. I see the same thing in you." Peter retorted, chuckling through the tail end of his tears. He let go, scooting to sit next to Tony instead of across from him. He waited hesitantly, thinking of how to phrase what he wanted to say._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"It was The Vulture. I've been in a situation like this before. When he.... He found out who I was and lured me to this warehouse and before I even know what was happening I woke up under tons of wet concrete and steel. I couldn't move or breathe and I... I didn't h-have Karen and I w-was stuck and no one was coming to help no matter how much I screamed or cried. I felt so helpless. I had to just... Lift it off of me and then the plane crashed and...my parents died in a plane crash... I.. I have a hard time not remembering..." Peter signed as he felt a firm arm wrap around his shoulders._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________"It's alright, Pete. I'm not going to promise you that that will go away but, it will get better. It will get easier. One day at a time, alright?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Peter nodded quickly, squinting his eyes shut hard, focusing on the grip on his shoulder. If Mr.Stark believed it, then he could too._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	5. Weighing me down

Somehow Peter had managed to coax his mentor asleep, both to pass the time and heal a little from his injuries. Uncle Ben used to tell him all the time when he had started seriously growing and he refused to get a full night's rest, being a rambunctious preteen, "Your body heals and makes repairs when it has time to catch up, that's why you need at least 8 hours of sleep every night. That's code for go the heck to sleep, Pete." He remembers the way he would tiredly press his fingertips to the bridge of his nose with a shake of his head and a chuckle. Tony Stark does the same. He scooted away from the man, who shifted slightly as Peter nervously removed himself, but didn't wake, much to Peter's relief. He suddenly understood why the man had been avoiding him and alternatively why he'd been avoiding Tony as well. The conversation that they'd had did leave some insight, but he was scared of other things as well...they both were. Peter could have stopped by the compound any time or bothered any of the other less busy avengers for work, but he supposed that wasn't what this was about. He had a hard time not feeling like a burden. Things were easier when Ben was around. That's one thing Peter was sure of. He never was much of a bother then because he and May had everything they could ever need and life was good and happy and carefree. Peter missed the days where the only thing he had to worry about was loose teeth and the next inch to mark off on his door frame. Now it was this, whatever this was. It was always something awful. Getting beat within an inch of your life just to go home and patch it up and act like everything is fine, to having your dates dad drop a building on you. Peter's breath hitched. 

"Don't freak out." He whispered to himself quietly, trying not to let his current situation get to him. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, thinking about the fuzzy features of Ben's face. It was warm and inviting. He wished he could remember what his laugh sounded like. It had been two years, and that sort of thing tends to be the first to fade. It's funny. He's positive he could pick his voice out of a crowd, but he couldn't hear it now. He knows what he would say. But can't imagine his voice saying it.

"Peter you're exactly where you're supposed to be." Peter said aloud, imitating husband uncle. He chuckled a small, sad puff of air, darting his eyes to pick at the sand on the floor. The small reminiscent smirk on his face turned sour. "What does that even mean?"

He knew what it meant. In the moments when he felt lost, Ben was always right there, telling him he needed whatever he was going through to happens he could come out stronger and better for it.

"Life is full of lessons and heartbreaks, but the moments you conquer them make it worth it."

...but Peter felt so broken, so weak. Ben was gone now, and it was his fault... How is that supposed to be exactly where he's supposed to be? How is that a lesson? How could life be so cruel? He and May we're alone now, struggling to keep the place he was raised in, and now she has Spiderman to deal with too. She's probably worried sick, Peter thought to himself, thinking about her frantically pacing the apartment, unable to sleep, wondering if her only family she's got left is okay or not trapped under five stories of loose rubble. And that's just today. What about every time he patrols? He puts so much on her shoulders and for what? Just because he thinks he's doing the right thing. He tries hard to be the best person he can. He wants to make her proud.... Make Ben and Tony proud too. He can't help but feel like he'd let them down by being nothing but annoying and worrisome. He's a liability to Tony and an added responsiblity to May and he can't shake the feeling that he can't make any mistakes or both are over and gone. Teetering on the edge of perfection in school and after had Peter stressed, too, for lack of a better word. It was bogging him down, weighing on his shoulders like a huge stone of responsibility that he certainly didn't feel he was up to par for. Peter pushed is hand against the roof of the cave in, pulling at the collar of his suit. Did it just get smaller in here? One slip up could get him killed, leaving May alone... Or worse yet, could get May or Tony killed. It was definitely getting smaller in here, the walls were closing in on him. He wanted out so badly, pressing gently on the roof above him, not wanting to actually shift the unstable rock, but wishing and praying for more air. What time was it even? How would he even be able to know? It could be three am or three pm and he would be none the wiser. He gently pressed the com in his ear, whispering to not wake his sleeping mentor.

"C-captain Rodgers, sir?" Radio silence. Peter gave it a moment before trying again, slightly louder and more panicked. "Captain? P-please?" A shuffling sound came on the other end before a quiet, sleepy response.

"Hey, Peter? Everything alright?" Steve groggily slurred into the coms.

"N-no.. I mean yes, but no. I mean.. I'm sorry I woke you up. It's n-not that important. You can go back to sleep." Ah shit, he was sleeping and he woke him up. God now's what time it was or how long he'd been working for.

"Hey hey hey, no. I was just crashing in Clint's car for a little bit. I'm here if you need me. What's goin' on, Pete?" Cap sat up, looking out at the wreckage, they'd made a fair amount of progress, and it shouldn't be more than a few hours now that they should be able to get to the area they were trapped under to start moving stuff without disturbing it. He was completely willing to ramp that up to 120% if they needed immediate help, though the situation already was dire and they were trying their absolute best to get the two out.

Peter swallowed thickly, thinking this was a stupid idea. His problem was menial in comparison to the situation they were in. He sniffled, wiping his eyes with his gloved hand.

"M-Mr. Rodgers, s-sir, what time is it?" Peter hiccupped, trying to stay quiet and keep his emotions under wraps.

"Uh well..." Steve looked at his cheap burner phone, squinting at the damn thing. He just could never get these things to work for him or figure out how it was set up. He looked to his smart watch Tony had given him as a making-up gift and quickly gave up on that too.. He tossed it to the side, pressing the power button on the car radio, showing the time. "It's about 4am....and it's Steve or Cap by the way." Was this kid crying? This kid was definitely crying. "Hey...Peter you good? Did something happen."

"N-no. Nothing happened. I just...I-I want to go home." Peter was quietly breaking down, in front of Captain America no less. Thus was embarrassing.

"Ah, Pete. I know. We're trying to get you two out of there as quickly as we-" 

"That's.... That's not what I mean. I just...I want to relax and feel safe for once. Spiderman makes me feel safe, but what about Peter? He... He's really scared right now. He wants to go home and see his uncle and kiss is aunt on the cheek and worry about his Spanish test, but that doesn't even exist anymore...that feeling. Ben is gone, And I've got bigger problems than Spanish."

"Woah okay, slow down here, Peter. I get what you're saying here." Cap rubbed the back of his head straightening up in his seat. " Uh, Pete. Look. I know this isn't what you want to hear, but life finds a way of beating people down that don't deserve it. These thing... I don't know why they happen, but they do, and they have to so-"

"-so you can grow from it....but...what if you can't? What if it just continues to hurt forever?"

"Some things just do. There's nothing I suppose we can really do about that. We lose people and we don't really ever get over them. There is no getting over them. There's just making them proud and doing what you know they'd want you to do. Take it from someone with as little self preservation skills as humanly possible, probably even worse than Tony, you need to focus on you, too though. What you're feeling is a normal part of grieving, but it can't rule your life. What you do is very special Peter, but it's also incredibly dangerous. People are going to get hurt. People might die....but from what I've heard about you kid, you're an incredible individual who would do anything to prevent that and....also a kid who has every right to be scared. You're a kid, Peter, and you've been through nearly as much as any one of us avengers have and that's not something to shake your head at. That's not something any child is prepared for, and to be enhanced on top of that. It makes me want to , pardon my French, kick Tony's ass for dragging you into this way of life. I get what he sees you you now though. It's a lot, but I also want you to know that you are not alone, Peter. We can be here for you if you want us to be. We get it more than you'd like to think. I know I'm a hundred years old but I like to think I'm pretty with it if you ever want to talk to me. I'll make time."

"Thank you, Mr. Ro- Steve. I just. I'm so tired. And under a lot of stress physically and emotionally I'm sure you could presume." Peter wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them tight to himself.

"When you get out of there, we're going to have a long talk about what we can do to structure your time and manage your stress levels better over malts and greasy diner food. Bucky won't let me have any because of food allergies I used to have and it's getting kind of annoying, so I wouldn't mind sneaking away either." Steve chuckled softly.

"That... That sounds really nice, Cap."

"How's The Tinman?"Steve raised an eyebrow in concern.

"He's asleep right now, he's probably going to be hard to move when you guys get to us. He keeps trying to act like it doesn't hurt."

"He was kept as a POW for a little while in conditions not much worse than this, so it doesn't really surprise me all that much that he's trying to put on a brave face. If you can tell he's faking it then he has to be pretty bad off. Not to scare you or anything. I'm going to get back to work here. We're closer to getting you guys out of there. You'll probably be able to hear us in a few hours. We just need a space big enough to get you guys some medical attention and an extraction down there. I never asked what your situation really looks like."

"It's small. I can crawl on my knees and have about an elbow's distance to the roof. It's really dark, but the arc reactor is keeping it lit up in here a little so we can see. It's probably about ten feet across and three tall, but not exactly. We got trapped in between the bank door and what looks like a fallen pillar."

"That's good. If anything happens we can look for the reactor and know exactly where you're at as well. They haven't stopped, but I'm going to get going here again, and Peter.... You're a good kid. Keep him safe."

"Sir yes sir."


	6. Caving in to the Pressure

Peter refused to fall asleep, struggling with himself for the majority of the night. It felt like time had come to a standstill as he finally heard distant knockings and rubble being carefully extracted far above him. Just a few more hours, he thought to himself. A few more hours and they'll be fine. Across the small space Tony stirred, groaning and whining like a child that had prematurely woken up from their mid day nap. He squinted in the low light, sighing in exasperation with the realization that they were still underground. He rubbed his hip with a scrunched face.

"Pete." Stark spoke through clenched teeth. He called out hoping he wasn't alone here.

"Mr. Stark." Peter cleared his throat, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke. He was hoping he would get more rest than he had, but wasn't necessarily surprised. Peter hadn't broken many bones before., But he was aware of what it felt like, and as shock had worn off long ago he couldn't have been even remotely comfortable. He didn't look good either, a sheen of sweat coating his pale, slightly sunken face.

"How long have I been out for?" A layer of satisfaction and relaxation permeated his soft question. Content that he had his boy with him. His boy? Come on Stark, just accept it already. 

"Couple of hours. I'm not sure. Last time I asked it was 4am and it has been a few since then."

"Mm." He nodded , picking himself up a little to press his back against the door on shaking arms.

Peter didn't know how to ask what he wanted to ask, so after a long uncomfortable pause he just asked, hoping they were there enough in their relationship for Tony to open up to him. At least a little. He just wasn't ever one to be able to quiet a curious mind. The type to look for answers. "What was Afghanistan like?"

"Well....." Wasn't that a loaded question. It had a lot of answers. "I try not to remember, but since we're sharing... I'll tell you if you really want to know."

Peter gently and quickly nodded back, biting his lower lip.

"It feels like a lifetime ago, but it doesn't ever get any less clear. I was captured by ten rings. They were using Stark Industry missiles, and wanted me to get one called Jericho functional from the cave they had kept me in. Dr.Yensin and I got to work on building the first Ironman suit instead under the table. Plotting our escape from day one. It's like a switch went off and I was instantly in survival mode the entire time I was there. Right up until the point Rhodey found me in the desert. I didn't feel anything... Not emotionally... Barely physically. It was almost pure adrenaline and instinct that was fueling me. It was something I used to have to do a lot when I was a kid, so it was just....natural at that point. I don't ever remember being scared either, but looking back I think it was being terrified that flipped that switch. I can't believe it's been eleven years."

"Oh......why would you have to do that when you were a kid?" Peter continued on, regretting it when he saw the look on his mentor's face drop into something more angry and sad. 

"Uh..."

Peter held up his hands, stopping him from continuing on "-you don't have to if you don't want to, I shouldn't have asked."

"Hey it's... It's okay. It's kind of refreshing that you have questions. Most people assume my life before Afghanistan was perfect. Its rare someone cares enough to ask. I want to know more about how you got here then too since we're going there." Tony crossed his arms, lifting an eyebrow at the kid. "You've gotta tell me more about you. When I think about it, we barely know anything about one another. Mostly just spend time together in the lab. So let's have this conversation. I'll go there if you're willing to go there, too." Tony reached out a hand, waiting for a handshake, "is it a deal?"

Peter hesitated a moment before taking Tony's hand back. He gave it a single firm shake. "So twenty questions? Or are we just going to wing it?" Peter joked, earning a hard flick on the forehead from his mentor. "Knock it off, you goof."Peter rubbed his forehead with a slight smile.

"Howard Stark was a grade A professional asshole. If they had made an asshole of the year award, he would win it every year of his life continuing on until the rest of eternity. He treated my mother and I like property that he could kick around, berate, and do whatever he wanted with. He always treated me like I was some sort of project that would never meet his standards and he usually got violent when I stood up for myself. He was a drunk and an abuser and didn't stop until I was in MIT and out on my own at fifteen, emancipated from the family. I always searched for his approval right up until the day he died though. There's just... That father son bond that is always held no matter what. That that's someone you're supposed to be completely loyal to despite how they treat you because they're your father, you know? So instead of ever doing anything I just spend most of my childhood on autopilot. Being the quiet, subservient, obedient boy that he expected to see until I had had enough and realized that normal families didn't function like that. Jarvis made things a bit easier, but it wasn't ever perfect. When my parents were murdered I didn't really mourn them, but I mourned what could have been more than anything. That I would never get what I wanted out of them. Just basic love and acceptance. I wanted to hear that they were proud of me, but it was never like that. It was cruel and violent and chaotic."

"You know you're not like that right? Earlier you said you were scared of becoming another Howard Stark, but you're one of the most compassionate, loving people I've ever met...you just don't think everyone deserves it. That's also a good thing. You believe people have value past what they can do for you, which is rare. Like... emotionally. You value people emotionally. It's....it's one of the many reasons I look up to you so much." Peter rubbed his arm up and down, treading lightly. He avoided looking at Tony, not wanting to overanalyze his reaction.

Tony released a sigh, ruffling the kids hair in front of him. "You're such a good kid. How did such a good kid end up in so much deep shit? Where did this all start for you, Pete?"

"I was on a field trip to a lab with my debate team and got bit by a radioactive spider when-"

"That's not what I meant Peter. I meant what drives you to do all of this?" Stark gestured at the rubble above them. Peter looked uncomfortably at the floor before making distressed eye contact with Tony. He released an exacerbated breathe, trying to break the tension.

"My uncle. It was....my fault. When we first met I told you that when you have the ability to stop something and you don't, then you are just as responsible as the person who instigated the situation. That this responsibility of being enhanced means that you have to do something good with it. I.... I didn't. I didn't do what I was meant to. I was with him the night he died. He died in my arms because of what I didn't do when I knew I could. I could have done something. If... If I werent Spiderman he would still be here." Peter squinted his eyes shut, turning his head away as a tear fell down his cheek. "I snuck out of my room. I was spidermaning and I let this guy who was purse snatching go. He looked ratty and homeless and I just thought he was trying to get some money so I let him off with a warning and told him to leave people alone. I...I didn't know he was bad... I just thought he was desperate... But Ben knew I snuck out and had been out looking for me. I saw him get cornered in an allyway and was trying to talk the guy down, explaining why he was out there in the first place. That he was looking for his thirteen year old nephew and just wanted to bring him home and then he was just on the ground. I tried to keep him alive long enough for an ambulance to get there, but he wouldn't stop bleeding and he just kept telling me that everything was going to be okay and that he loved me. I told him I was sorry maybe a million times. I had blood on my hands. So... much....b-" Peter stared deeply into his red gloves, a look of half concealed terror and tragedy in his face. He dropped his hands, his face much more straight and serious as his eyes met Stark's once again. "I vowed that day to never let the little guy down. That with great power comes great responsibility. That that blood on my hands doesn't go forgotten and pushed to the wayside for the sake of moving on. And that vengeance and revenge doesn't solve anything... Killing people only ever hurts. It doesn't solve anything at all. Dedication does. Making a difference does. Making sure it doesn't happen to anyone else does. That's....that's what drives me....I think."

"It wasn't your fault Peter. Bad people unfortunately just exist. And your uncle sounds like he was a great guy. He would be super proud of you, Pete. I'm... I'm also super proud of you. You have a lot to be proud of. I don't know how you've managed to keep such a bright outlook with all you've been through at your age. Losing my parents when I was twenty one destroyed me. I was a mess for years after that because no matter how hard I tried I couldn't twist it into something good. You've managed to make this world a bit of a better place in his Honor and I know that he'd hold that deep in his heart."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark." Peter was crying again, this time from the bittersweetness of Tony's words. Looking at his life, he was sure Ben would be proud of him too. He just wished he could tell him himself.

"I want you to know that...whatever it is that you and I've got isn't going to go anywhere, alright? This is stable....and I might not be ready for you to look at me like a parent, Pete, but I can step up to that when you need me to. I love Pepper. She loves you and May so much. I love you and May, too. You're family. And I'm bad at saying that when I need to. I get in my own head a lot, but I promise I'm going to protect you. It's my job to guide you from here on out, not just as a mentor for a job. You're not just an intern. You're my kid. And I'm going to do my best to be the Tony Stark you see in me." Peter nodded firmly. 

"I know the premises of that scares you, but I respect you on a whole different level than anyone I've ever met. I... I lose people a lot and just hearing that you won't let it happen on your watch brings me peace of mine you couldn't possibly understand....and I love you and Pepper too, Tony. You're the father figure I've always needed and the family I've always wanted and I don't know how we got here but I'm glad we did." The two gripped each other's hands, pulling their elbow's together to level with one another. Peter wrapped his other arm around Tony. Tony ruffled the back of the boy's head, inhaling deeply. He was always a touch driven person, so the hug sealed the deal in a lot of ways.

"I can't wait to get the hell out of here."

Peter chuckled, "yeah me neither."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayye I low-key am not happy with this chapter by any means. It kind of feels like a repeat of chapter four in my opinion, but I got stuck and just needed to write it. It's been a month since my last update.


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